The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1887-10-28
healthy activity. For sale by S. H.
sScallin
SOLID WITH THE. SETTLERS.
A Sample Case Which Bolsters Up
Sparks Clnim.

4 Sample Case Which Bolsters Up
Sparks Claim.
SCOTLAND, Oct. 2l.-Spccial to the
Journal: some time ago settler
about sixty miles above Yankton made
proof OIL his pre-emption claim, on
which he had lived for over three
years. In due time he received notice
that he must make 1sew proof, as the
original proof was made cine day later
than the date i'll the published notice
OF Intention. Ills wife, who had
worked hard all these years to help. Sc
cure the home, wrote to Commissioner
Sparks i'll August last, explaining the
case. and Il few days ago received re-
ply stating that tie nc" proof must
be made. Her letter TO the commits
sioner is as follows:
---, Dak.. Aug. Ii, lSS7.-Mr.
sparks, commissioner of public lands,
Washington, ID. 9. Sir-Wo received
a notice from you today stating that
we would be obliged to make final
proof vi our claim over again, which is
the south half of the southwest quar-
ter of section 81, township W. range I'll.
cannot tell you what this will cost
us if there is no other alternative.
When we came to Dakota, the 9th
day OF March, 1884, we had just ten
cents. My husband got work right
| away and commenced looking for land
to make us u home. In April he found
| this eighty acres lying vacant; all
1,xa ,ft fta f.,,Nx II
was taken up; he Immediately filed a
presumption it, DIiit small, house
aud we moved on to it, where and
our little boy stayed all summer, my
husband coming rotAe eveSy Satur-
day night and going back to work
again Monday morning. In this way
we managed to stay On our land and
/ get the required amount of breaking
done and other necessary improve
ments made, and enough to live on
through the winter. The next year we
farmed it and lived there continually
uncil the 9th Of May. 1887. My husband
found piece OF land cornering ours
that he could buy, and paid $500 (three
hundred dollars for the reliuquish-
mant OF 1t and filed a b. mestead on it.
We moved our house from our pre-
emptinn and are now living on our
homestead. The way the mistake OF
one day came to be in our proof was
partly owing to terrible blizzard, as
we lived sixty miles from the Yankton
land Office, where our proof was taken
in January. When they got to Scot
land, thirty miles of the way; y;the storm
was so bad they were obliged to leave
the team and take the cars. This was
the 18th of January. When they got to
the land office at 4ankton they found
they had failed to bring an affidavit
from the publisher who had printed
the final proof notice, so they tele-
Eraphed back to Scotland to have it
sent and the snow was 80 bad the train
didn't get to Yankton until too late to
do anything that day, the 14th, so my
husband made his proof the next day,
January 10Th, and all of our neighbors
knew that we had lived on our land
continually and in good faith for the
purpose OF having home until we got
the homestead we live on now. How
can we live on this and prove up again
on the eighty-acre pre-emption Must
we lose our homestead right and the
$500 we paid for it or the pre- -emption? :?
God knows we have lived up to the law
i'll every respect. Pardon NE if l have
overtaxed your patience, but cannot
help explaining this to you. Sir, ii you
could realize how hard it is to make a
living for poor man here you would
not ohljge us to readvertise and make
Il new proof. all Of which will cost us
$50 or $40, and that means over a
hundred bushels of wheat at the pres
ent prices. 1t does seem TO me
one day could make no difference for
the proof We can easily prove to your
satisfaction that there was no one to
contest our right to do so. We will
anxiously await your reply.
Yours truly.
i This letter was shown to Eden. Max
well, an old resident of Scotland, who
youches for the truth of each state
ment made therein. Mr.. Maxwell also
read Sparks mournful howl sent out
from Washington on the 10Th
lust, IN which he says that the ''honest
settlers of the territory are with me.''
but the corporations and land sharks
are dashing him to the wall. This
statement by the commissioner
aroused the ire of the Dakotan, and he
sent the following letter. which no
doubt embodies the sentin1 ents Of a
great many Dakota people:
SCOTLAND, OAK. Oct. 81. 1887. 10
A. j. Sparks, Sir: 1t makes one feel
like making the air blue with bias
phemy to read what you Saiti to the
people of this country Oil the 18th inst.
You are liar beyond computation of
the word, when you say "ttle honest
settlers of the territory are with you"
j By your ridiculous requirements. and
general holding up of all land proofs,
yeu have devised new means for I. new
class of land sharks to plunder our
people. Before you were appointed
commissioner settlers had only to pay
land agents for getting up their papers
and atlidavits, between the time Of
filing and making proof; then their
trouble was over. Now they have to
pay extravagant fees of all kinds, to
the new class you have created, both
time proof is made in Dakota till the
patent is issued 1T the national capi-
tai. In many eases and for trivial
causes you demand new proofs, and
pay no attention toappeals from any
one, say we are Ill unworthy of belief,
and when Your demands are not
promptly complied with, yo,, cancel
our lands bv ,lctatnTial letter.
4 marked X. OF b.. which reads like All
ultimatum from Johnny Bull TO the
Turks. Letters like the enclosed go
to you from Dakota every day, 3nd
then into your Washington waste bits-
kpt. l know every word at the one
that accom- Tanias this to be true, it
tell of a settlers life. and a hard gov
ernment-frOm WOtnan too 1t is an